1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved cement finishing hand tool, structured to be conveniently and easily useable, independent from any external connections, and to facilitate rapid and convenient use to provide a number of different required finishes.
2. Description of the Related Art
When cement is poured so as to form sidewalks, foundations, etc., it is generally desirous to provide a smooth, flat exterior surface prior to drying. In particular, stones and other particles can often remain on top the cement surface, which can provide an uneven finish or can provide irregular areas within the cement that result in uneven hardening as the cement settles down during drying.
Accordingly, others in the art have turned to vibrating equipment to help remove some of the imperfections after the cement has been poured. Generally, these types of tools, such as in the patent to Adkins (U.S. Pat. No. 5,234,283) are large specialized skimmers disposed on elongated poles to provide the preliminary surfacing of the poured cement. As such, finishing of the cement is still required, utilizing a variety of different hand tools, each having its own specialized purpose.
Additionally in the art, basic skimmer/trowel hand tools, such as those cited in the patents to Smith et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,653,957), Bodine (U.S. Pat. No. 3,376,798) and W. P. Day et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 2,400,341) have been developed. These tools, however, while providing some vibration for finishing purposes will generally require an elongated cord or air hose to enable them to function. Accordingly, the tools can be very difficult and cumbersome to use, and a user must go to great lengths to ensure that the hose or cord remains out of the still wet, finished cement. Additionally, when a worker is in a small confined area, or is kneeling down to finish the surface, a variety of different tools, such as a float, a jointer, an edger, etc., must be utilized. Generally, it is quite inconvenient and cumbersome to have all of these individual tools handy, an inconvenience that is further heightened if the tools are heavy and/or are connected to an elongate air or power hose. As such, there is still a substantial need in the art for a safe and effective method of providing for multiple and varying surfacing of the wet cement in a convenient manner that does not require a variety of different hand tools to be carried by a user and increases the workers ability to provide a smooth finish.
The device of the present invention is designed precisely to overcome many of the problems remaining with prior art devices by providing an apparatus which is specifically adapted to be hand-held, non-cumbersome and easily useable and maneuverable, while being conveniently and quickly adaptable for use in a variety of finishing circumstances. Further, the device of the present invention enables a worker to conveniently have a variety of effective tools at his/her disposal during all finishing stages and recognizes the yet unidentified benefits of vibration at the finishing stages and with many different tools.